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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · file · saw · firm · present · pitch · mug · date

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. date — the fruit
  7. present — a gift
  8. file — a tool
  9. firm — a company
  10. mug — to rob
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mug — a cup
  13. firm — decided
  14. present — the time now
  15. firm — steady
  16. band — a music group
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mug — a face
  22. present — there
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com